Eight Providence Catholic Student-Athletes make College Commitments

Providence Catholic High School congratulates those who signed athletic letters of intent.

Eight student athletes from Providence Catholic High School signed national letters of intent, agreeing to attend a variety of colleges and universities. Five Providence girls and three boys signed on for collegiate sports commitments. Don Sebestyen, principal of Providence Catholic High School, said, “We are very proud of these young men and women who have worked hard both in and outside of the classroom.  We wish them the very best in college and in life.” For girls volleyball:  For girls softball: For girls basketball:  For boys baseball: For boys volleyball:

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UPDATE: Mother McAuley's Rogers Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Mother McAuley softball standout Ashley Rogers outpolled 11 others Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for May Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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UPDATE: Andrew's Lenza Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Andrew softball standout Jenna Lenza outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for April Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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UPDATE: Marian Catholic's Nickel Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Marian Catholic softball fans know this about Alex Nickel: She plays with determination and heart. And they roared for her in Patch's weekly MVP voting. Nickel outpolled nine others to become eligible for April Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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UPDATE: L-W North's McFarland Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Lincoln-Way North volleyball standout Ryan McFarland outpolled 11 others in Patch's weeklly MVP balloting. He is now eligible for March Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Gimme 5: Providence Baseball's Kutsulis Knows Big Games

As one of only two juniors who started regularly on last spring’s 37-4 team, Providence’s Zak Kutsulis knows he’ll have a bigger role next season.

Back in June, Zak Kutsulis was in right field as Providence advanced to the Class 4A state baseball finals, taking second place and bringing a trophy to the school for the first time since 1982. Five years prior, Kutsulis was in South Williamsport, Pa., helping the Lemont Little League team advance all the way to the semifinals. They became the first team from Illinois since 1992 to advance to the Little League World Series and just the 14th since it began in 1947. Needless to say, Kutsulis has played in a lot of big games, even though he just turned 17 on May 10. Heading into his senior year of high school, Kutsulis will play an even bigger role for the Celtics next spring since they graduated nearly all of their starters. Kutsulis played…

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Local Sports Notebook

IHSBCA Summer Baseball Playoffs Begin Monday

The Sandburg regional is jam-packed with all four Lincoln-Way high schools as well as Providence.

The four Lincoln-Way high school baseball teams will begin play in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) Phil Lawler Summer Classic on Monday. All of the Lincoln-Way teams are in the Sandburg regional with the title game scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday. The most notable potential matchup would be Providence versus Lincoln-Way North in Frankfort at 7 p.m. on Monday. Providence faces Stagg at 4 p.m. on Monday and would have to win to move on to face the No. 2 seed Phoenix. Lincoln-Way East will have to rise early in the morning to face Tinley Park at 10 a.m. Monday in a game at Plainfield South, while Lincoln-Way West will battle Romeoville at 11 a.m. Monday at Sandburg. Lastly, Lincoln-Way Central will host …

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Gimme 5: Ex-Cub and Ex-Celtic Pignatiello Likes His New Life as Father, Pitching Coach

Twenty-eight year-old works with Joliet Slammers' staff and works with his wife, Julie, to raise a family.

Some players don’t know when the time is right to step down, but for Joliet Slammers pitching coach Carmen Pignatiello, the decision was easy. He realized the time was right after going 6-9 with a 5.87 ERA in 2009 for the Schaumburg Flyers in the Northern League. That doesn’t mean Pignatiello still isn’t effective on the mound, though, as he’s taken his knowledge of the game to the Joliet Slammers as their pitching coach. He’s also relishing his new role as Dad with a young son, Peter, and another on the way this fall. Pignatiello, who currently resides in Aurora, had lived in Mokena and Frankfort, and is a graduate of Providence Catholic.

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